Singapore (VNA) - Singapore’s rail operator SMRT will be fined 3 million SGD (approximately 2.4 million USD) following a major disruption on the East–West Line (EWL) from September 25 to 30, 2024, which affected around 2.6 million passenger journeys.
The incident is considered one of the most serious service disruptions in the history of the country’s MRT system.
In a statement issued on June 3, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the penalty was determined after taking into account the overall impact, including SMRT’s expenditure of over 7.75 million USD on repairs and alternative transport arrangements for commuters.
LTA noted that SMRT had responded promptly by deploying free public buses to reduce commuter inconvenience. The affected section between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations was quickly isolated, repairs were completed on September 30, and full train services resumed on October 1, 2024.
The penalty amount will be channelled into the Public Transport Fund to assist lower-income families with commuting expenses.
Under current regulations, rail operators can be fined up to 750,000 USD or 10% of annual fare revenue from the affected line—whichever is higher. SMRT reported earnings of 6.2 million SGD before interest and tax for the 2023/24 financial year from operating the Bukit Panjang LRT and four MRT lines./.
